For the first time since 1996, Norman High has a new football coach.

In a motion unanimously approved by the Norman Board of Education Monday, Greg Nation will be NHS’ new coach. Nation will replace Butch Peters, who resigned last month after 35 years as a coach, the last 12 as head coach.

The board went into an executive session at the conclusion of Monday’s regularly scheduled meeting to receive the recommendation from superintendent Dr. Joe Siano.

“We had a very thorough process,” Siano said. “There were a lot of good applicants, including our internal applicants. But we felt like Greg brought experience from a variety of places. He had a vision for what he hoped for for the football program and he had a lot of respect for Butch Peters and the tradition of Norman High School.”

Nation had been an assistant coach with Sapulpa the last two seasons, coaching defensive backs, receivers and defensive line. He was also strength coordinator.

Before that, he had been head coach at Bishop Kelley, in Tulsa, from 1996-2004. While there, he led the Comets to six straight playoff appearances. In his first season, he led the Comets to their first winning season in 11 years.

While coaching at Kelley, Nation was also the quarterbacks coach for the Tulsa Talons of the Arena 2 Football League from 1999-2000.

From ’92-’96, he was an assistant at Bristow, Tulsa Edison and Tulsa Central. He was head coach and athletic director of Montrose Academy in Montrose, Ark. in 1990.

Nation graduated from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark., in 1987 with a bachelors degree in education. In 2005, He acquired a masters degree in education from Tulsa, where he was a graduate assistant under then coach Steve Kragthorpe.

A few NHS players were in attendance to learn of their new coach.

“It’s kind of a shock,” running back Nick Lipham said. “We all thought it was going to be (Tiger assistant) coach (B.W.) Trenary.

“(Greg Nation) kind of sounds familiar. We’ll just go in and work hard for him.”